Reading Lists - Westerns

Primarily set in the Western U.S. from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the 20th Century, Westerns feature the exploits of cowboys, scouts, Indians, gunslingers, and lawmen. The mythic feel of the West and the struggle to survive take precedence over historical accuracy.

The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie
Guthrie explores the role of the West as a place for escape and redemption as young Boone Caudill flees his abusive father in Kentucky and becomes a wild mountain man in the rugged West. In addition to Caudill, The Big Sky introduces Jim Deakins and Dick Summers, three of the most memorable characters in Western American literature. (F, LP)

The Branch and the Scaffold by Loren D. Estleman
Estleman’s westerns, like his mysteries, are dark, gritty, and feature loners who operate under a personal moral code. He writes biographical westerns as well as a series featuring lawman Page Murdock. This sharp, funny novel is about Isaac C. Parker (1838–1896), the notorious federal “Hanging Judge” for Arkansas and the Indian Territory. (LP)

Broken Trail by Alan Geoffrion
In this Spur Award winner for best first novel, cowboy Print Ritter and his young nephew find adventure while driving horses to Wyoming, and they attempt to rescue five young Chinese girls from being forced into prostitution. Based on historical documents and more than five years of research, it is the basis for the AMC cable network's production of the same title. (F)

The Dark Island by Robert J. Conley
The Real People series combines powerful characters, gripping plots, and vivid descriptions of tradition and mythology. In the sixth title, Squani, the son of a Timuca woman raped by a Spaniard and taken in by the Cherokee, goes on a dangerous, painful journey of discovery that leads him to the Spanish and a confrontation with his heritage. (LP)

From Where the Sun Now Stands by Will Henry
Appreciation for the land and the people who live there—especially Indians—resonates in Henry’s novels. This classic Spur Award winner examines Nez Perce Chief Joseph, continually betrayed by a government with which he only wants peace. The tale is narrated by Heyets, an old man reflecting on memories of his youth. (LP)

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Lonesome Dove, a Pulitzer Prize and Spur Award winner, is the ultimate Western adventure. Two former Texas Rangers hear rumors of opportunity in the newly opened territory, and they decide to head north. Their dusty trek is filled with troubles, violence, and unfulfilled yearning. This epic tale is descriptive with a relaxed pace. (F)

The Night Birds by Thomas Maltman
Maltman won a Spur Award for best first novel for the story of two generations of the Senger family. When Aunt Hazel is released from the state mental hospital, she brings a hidden part of the family history—an account of their involvement with the neighboring Dakota and its subsequent role in the Sioux uprising. (F)

The Pumpkin Rollers by Elmer Kelton
Kelton is known for his less-than-mythic heroes and elegiac tone. He writes of the disappearance of the West with great historical detail, complex characters, and evocative landscapes. Here, Trey McLean, a pumpkin roller (farmer), wants to become a cattleman, but he encounters frustration and danger on the way to his goal. (F, PB)

Sackett’s Land by Louis L’Amour
L'Amour employs Western landscapes, characters, and virtues, making them synonymous with the best American traits. His action-filled stories of the Sackett family cover 200 years of history. In the first book, set in the early 17th century, Barnabas Sackett is declared an outlaw in England and flees his homeland to seek adventure and fortune in the new land of America. (F, LP)

Shane by Jack Schaefer
Shane is the traditional Paladin hero, a man who rides into the community, rousts the badmen, and rides out again, bringing justice to a lawless land. Shane rides into the valley where Bob Starrett's family lives, and Bob, 15, tells about Shane's winning ways as he helps the homesteaders break the power of the Wyoming cattlemen. Shane has been a favorite Western for over 60 years. (LP, 813.54 Sch)

Tallgrass by Don Coldsmith
Coldsmith’s numerous novels focus mostly on Indian life during the expansion of the west. His stories capture the spirit of the West with evocative settings, characters, and themes. In the first of the Great Plains saga, white settlers begin to take away the lands of the Pawnee and other tribes after the Santa Fe trail opens. The novel covers nearly 300 years of history with seven loosely connected stories. (F)

Vengeance Valley by Richard S. Wheeler
Conned out of his money and land, Hard Luck Yancey stumbles upon black Telluride gold beneath a Sisters of Charity miners' hospital, a discovery that pits him against ruthless mining barons and greedy outlaws. A bookish mining engineer rather than a typical gunslinger, Yancey is an unconventional hero fighting for what is moral and right. (PB)

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
Doig’s realistic depiction filled with historical and landscape details, lyrical writing, and love of the land tie him firmly to the Western tradition. The Whistling Season looks back on Montana's storied past. Hired as a housekeeper on an early 1900s Montana homestead, the irreverent Rose endeavors to educate her employer’s sons. (F)

Read-alike Guides - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

If you liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, you might enjoy one of these books:

Blood Work by Michael Connelly
Eight weeks after a heart transplant saves his life, former FBI agent Terry McCaleb discovers that his new heart came from a murder victim, leading Terry to become involved in tracking down the killer. This first Terry McCaleb mystery is a character-driven, complex thriller. Terry, like Salander and Blomkvist, finds himself manipulated by outside forces.

Cover Her Face by P.D. James
In the first Adam Dalgliesh novel, Mrs. Maxie must contend with her son's sudden engagement to her new parlor maid at Martingale manor house, Sally Jupp. The next morning, the whole village is shocked by the discovery of Sally’s body. Like the Millennium trilogy, this character-driven series has a moody tone and delivers one compelling read after another.

The Devil’s Feather by Minette Walters
When five women are killed in Sierra Leone, journalist Connie Burns suspects a mercenary of acting out his sadistic fantasies. Her attempt to expose him is complicated by her experience as a hostage in Baghdad. This theme of contemporary evil confronted by a woman (who goes into hiding to solve a crime related to her own personal trauma) will be familiar to Larsson’s readers.

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
Fans of Swedish mystery fiction will enjoy this first series title. Inspector Kurt Wallander, a local Swedish police officer whose own personal life is falling apart, copes with a wave of anti-foreign sentiment when he investigates the murders of an elderly couple. Later in the series, stubborn Linda Wallander joins her father on the force as a rookie.

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
The Adelia Aguilar series features absorbing, detailed plotlines with intricate details, propelled by the tempestuous relationship between a brilliant but antisocial woman and her occasional lover. In the first novel, medical expert Adelia is sent to medieval Cambridge to exonerate Jewish prisoners accused of murdering four children.

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
From World War II to the present, this book follows the adventures of a freedom-seeking war martyr and an alcoholic police officer who is drawn into a mystery with past origins. Norwegian author Nesbo writes slow-building suspense using strong characters whose inner lives are slowly revealed, multilayered plots, and portrayals of the dark side of Scandinavian society.

Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg
When her six-year-old neighbor falls to his death and no one is willing to suspect foul play, Smilla Qaavigaaq Jasperson starts investigating on her own. Danish author Hoeg offers an original, elegantly crafted, savage story. The plot is cryptically clever, beginning with an individual and ending with a discovery on a larger scale.

Stone’s Fall by Iain Pears
In this dazzling historical mystery, John Stone, financier and arms dealer, dies falling out of a window. The quest to uncover the truth behind his death plays out against the backdrop of Europe's first great age of espionage, high-stakes international finance, and the start of the 20th century arms race. With plenty of narrative twists, this is as engrossing as Larsson’s contemporary setting.

Straight into Darkness by Faye Kellerman
In 1929 Munich, Inspektor Axel Berg hunts for a serial killer as the pressure to find a scapegoat intensifies, and he must fight for fairness for the accused and even his own career. An intriguing protagonist, Berg is flawed yet compassionate and heroic, forced to confront enormous odds in brutal times. Politics, prejudice, and revenge form the backdrop for murder in this historical mystery.

Sun Storm by Åsa Larsson
When a body is discovered in her hometown, a young lawyer is called home to northern Sweden, only to become trapped in a web of betrayal, religious fanaticism, and death. Like Salander, Rebecka Martinsson is a strong but troubled lead female character. Åsa Larsson uses psychological insight to reveal her characters and builds to a violent, explosive ending that Stieg Larsson fans will love.

Also by Stieg Larsson:

The Girl Who Played with Fire
Millennium, the magazine Blomkvist publishes, is about to do a story exposing the Swedish sex-trafficking trade when the authors of the story are both murdered, and Salander’s fingerprints are found on the gun. Larsson jumps between Blomkvist’s attempts to investigate the murder (and, he hopes, prove Salander’s innocence) and Salander’s own efforts to tie the killings to her past.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
Blomkvist again sets out to prove Salander innocent of murder. To do so he must expose a decades-old conspiracy within the Swedish secret service that has resulted in, among other travesties, a lifetime of abuse for Salander, whose very life threatens to expose the deadly charade. Larsson amps up the suspense and adds great courtroom drama to the trilogy’s stunning conclusion.

About Stieg Larsson - A leading expert on right-wing extremist organizations, Stieg Larsson was the editor-in-chief of an anti-racist magazine called Expo. He died in 2004. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was made into a film in Sweden in 2009, and an American version is set to be released in 2012.

Staff Selections - Jeanne, Reference

What is your favorite genre? Historical fiction, home improvement and decoration, and l'amour, toujours l'amour.

Who are your favorite authors? Jayne Krentz (aka Amanda Quick), Mary Balogh, and Jane Austen.

What are you reading now? Green Home Improvement: 65 Projects That Will Cut Utility Bills, Protect Your Health, and Help the Environment by Daniel D. Chiras.

What have you read recently? Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick and Money-Wise Makeovers: Modest Remodels and Affordable Room Redos by Jean Nayar.

What is your favorite classic? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Actually, I like all of hers! Also, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

What are your all time favorite books/series? Hank the Cowdog series by John R.Erickson,  The Izzy Spellman series by Lisa Lutz, The Chet and Bernie mystery series by Spencer Quinn, The Arcane Society series by Amanda Quick and her alter ego–Jayne Krentz, The St. Leger series by Susan Carroll.

What are your favorite recommendations? My favorite authors to recommend are Maeve Binchy, Katie Fforde, Carl Hiaasen, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Lisa Lutz. Last, but certainly not least, I suggest Dr. Dog by Babette Cole. That’s the world’s best book!

Reading Lists - Bonnet Fiction

“Bonnet fiction” is a term for Christian fiction that usually focuses on Amish or Mennonite communities. The plots often involve events that cause characters to reexamine their commitment to their faith, ultimately reaffirming their choices. Beverly Lewis is a popular author in this genre.

The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Choosing to forsake her feelings for an outsider and enter into a marriage of convenience, Amish Carrie faces huge consequences, as both she and her husband, Daniel, bring broken hearts and buried secrets into their relationship. This first novel is a welcome reminder that it is never too late to find your way back to God.

A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
Nomi longs to escape the confines of her strict religious life just like her mom and older sister have. She's stuck in a backward Mennonite town ruled by an over- zealous pastor, and rebelling seems to be her only option. This episodic, introspective first novel is bold, tender, funny and intelligent, In a twist on the genre, Toews explores belief and belonging in a coming-of-age story.

Eyes at the Window by Evie Miller Yoder
Miller's moving debut relates the saga of Amish settlers in Ohio and Pennsylvania in the 19th century, when simple survival is a triumph. Seen through the eyes of eight characters who alternate chapters, the story centers on how the mysterious death of an infant in 1810 reverberates for the next 50 years. This is highly readable and anachronism-free historical Christian fiction.

A Gift of Grace by Amy Clipston
In the first of the Kauffman Amish Bakery series, Rebecca Kauffman's sister Grace, who left the Amish behind years earlier, is killed in an accident. Rebecca and her husband must raise Grace's two teenage English daughters in their Old Order Amish community. Complex relationships and cultural tension make A Gift of Grace a compelling read. The included recipes are an added bonus!

Leah’s Choice by Marta Perry
An Amish woman relies on her faith as she is courted by both Daniel Glick, widower and newcomer to Pleasant Valley, and Johnny Kile, her former fiancé, who seeks reconciliation after choosing to leave the community. Perry’s richly detailed, character-driven, heartwarming novel, the first in the Pleasant Valley series, is sure to become a reader favorite.

Levi’s Will by W. Dale Cramer
Running away in the middle of the night, 19-year-old William Mullet flees a dogmatic father, a pregnant girlfriend, and his Old Order Amish community in Ohio. It's 1943, and William enters an unfamiliar world, enlisting in the military, and begins living a lie that becomes more complicated with each turn. Will is a complex hero with complicated relationships, and his story is an original one.

A Man of His Word by Kathleen Fuller
When Amish wife Moriah Byler is abandoned by her husband, she fears that she'll never find a man of his word. What Moriah doesn't know is that Levi's twin, Gabriel, has loved her for years. The characters are well drawn and the plot involves a sweet but winning romance in the first Hearts of Middlefield novel.

The Outsider by Ann Gabhart
When one of Gabrielle's visions comes to pass and a doctor is brought in to save the life of a young man, a chain of events that challenge Gabrielle's loyalty to the Shakers is set into motion. The War of 1812 setting, two points of view, detailed descriptions of the Shakers and their stringent religious beliefs, and light touch of romance make a fascinating addition to the genre.

Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman
When Linda discovers that she was adopted and that her mother, an "Englisher," wants to become a part of her life, her world is turned upside down and she begins to question God's plan for her. Wiseman’s vivid, lifelike characters populate entertaining, engaging, believable stories. Like the rest of the Daughters of Promise series, Plain Paradise is a real page-turner.

The Sommerfield Trilogy by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Twenty-three years ago, Marie left her Old Order Mennonite family and faith to begin a new life with Jep Quinn. But her husband's early death cut her dreams short. When her aunt leaves Marie a house and small café in Sommerfield, Kansas, she heads back home. Sawyer tells a good story with plenty of emotion and conflict. Her characters leap off the page and touch the reader's heart.

The Storekeeper’s Daughter by Wanda Brunstetter
Naomi helps her widowed father run a store, manage a household, and raise seven children. There is no time to think about courtship or having her own family, though her heart yearns for Caleb Hoffmeir. Naomi’s days continue unchanged—until the day her baby brother disappears from the yard. The first of Brunstetters’ Daughters of Lancaster County series is bittersweet but heartwarming.

When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall
In the first Sisters of the Quilt novel, Hannah Lapp wants to marry outside her Old Order Amish community. Before Hannah and Mennonite Paul Waddell can marry, tragedy strikes and Hannah faces losing her place in the community forever. A powerful, emotional writing style, subtle subplot, and shocking conclusion make this a great read.

A Widow’s Hope by Mary Ellis
Hannah Brown, childless and widowed after six years of marriage, needs a change. She sells her farm, puts her sheep on a truck, and heads to Ohio to live with her sister. The first in the Miller Family series is a gentle tale of renewed hope that puts readers in the middle of Amish life. Hannah’s flock of sheep adds a unique twist!

Staff Selections - Anna, Children's

What is your favorite genre? Historical fiction, mystery, and young adult.

Who are your favorite authors? Agatha Christie, E. Nesbit, L.M. Montgomery, Will Hobbs, Jane Austen, Avi, Herge, Marguerite Henry, and Louis L'Amour.

What are you reading now? A Cold Treachery by Charles Todd.

What have you read recently? I Will Plant You a Lilac Tree by Laura Hillman and Random Harvest by James Hilton.

What is your favorite classic? Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham, Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss, and I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino. I guess you could say I love the classics!

What are your all time favorite books/series? Dragonback series by Timothy Zahn, The Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries by Dorothy Gilman, The Cat Royal Adventures by Julia Golding, The Lady Grace Mysteries by Grace Cavendish, Homer Price by Robert McCloskey, All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor, Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Royal Diaries series, and Hank the Cowdog series by John Erikson.

What are your favorite recommendations? Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith, Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman, Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard, Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin, The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Carlson, Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen, The Cay by Theodore Taylor, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin, Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates. For the young children I recommend Too Many Frogs by Sandy Asher, Wet Dog! by  Elise Broach, and Skippingjon Jones by Judy Schachner.

Staff Selections - Jan, Circulation

What is your favorite genre? I am totally non-fiction! I love my COOKBOOKS and GARDENING books! I have even been known to check out a HOME IMPOVEMENT book or two!

What are you reading now? The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, The Container Kitchen Garden by Anthony Atha, The 20 Minute Vegetable Garden by Thomas Christopher, Green Home Improvement by Daniel Chiras, Strong Women, Strong Backs by Miriam E. Nelson, and Encyclopedia of Crafts by Martha Stewart.

What have you read recently? COOKBOOKS:  Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child, Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman, Vegetarian and More: Versatile Vegetarian Recipes with Optional Meat by Linda Rosensweig, The Harvest Eating Cookbook by Keith Snow, and Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans, and Other Good Things by Lois Landau. GARDENING: Grow Organic by Doug Oster, 100 Garden Tips and Time Savers by Walter Chadoha, Month-by-Month: What You Need to do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden by Andre Viette, The Kitchen Garden by Norma Coney, The Rodale Book of Composting by Rodale Press, and Root Cellaring by Mike Bubel

What is your favorite classic? The Bible. It has it all: history, drama, love stories,  poetry, self-help, and so much more! I prefer The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures–Reference Edition. It is an acclaimed rendering of the Hebrew and Greek texts, with helpful footnotes, maps, and appendices.

What other features of the library do you enjoy? I enjoy reading the latest magazines. At home, when I’m not reading, I enjoy relaxing with a good DVD or CD. The library has a great selection of both. I like Horatio’s Drive, Lewis and Clark, Inside Grand Central, An Inconvenient Truth, Planet Earth, and Blue Planet. In fiction DVDs I like Miss Potter, Sense and Sensibility, and While You Were Sleeping.

What are your favorite recommendations? Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, Diabetes and Heart Healthy Meals For Two by the American Heart Association, Newman’s Own Cookbook by Paul Newman, Grow Vegetables by Alan Buckingham, Jeff Ball’s 60 Minute Garden by Jeff Ball, and Square Foot Garden by Mel Bartholomew.

Staff Selections - Kristin, Adult Services Librarian

What is your favorite genre? I read almost everything! Historical fiction, romance, fantasy (especially young adult), mystery, suspense, chick lit, literary fiction….Any combination of those genres is GREAT! In non-fiction, I like travel writing, history, biography, and some poetry.

Who are your favorite authors? Bill Bryson, Tony Horwitz, Linda Howard, Olivia Goldsmith, Kathryn Reiss, Jane Green, Helen Fielding, and Philippa Gregory. Favorite poets : Nicki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, Anne Sexton, and Maya Angelou. I’m sure I missed some!

What are you reading now? I usually read three or four books a week, so this would be outdated before you read it! My current long-term read is Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

What have you read recently? Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton, The Innocent by Posie Graeme-Evans, The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch, The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova, Saving Monticello by Marc Leepson, You Can Get Arrested for That by Rich Smith, the Harper Connelly mysteries by Charlaine Harris, This Book is Overdue! by Marilyn Johnson, The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn, Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Magicians by Lev Grossman, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, The Postmistress by Sarah Blake, The Book of Spies by Gayle Lynds, Waiting on a Train by James McCommons, and dozens more!

What is your favorite classic? I read Gone with the Wind for the first time when I was 11 and have read it about 10 times since—it is my all time favorite book, classic or not! East of Eden by John Steinbeck, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, The Illustrated Man and Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough are also favorites.

What is your all time favorite book/series? I love series because the story isn’t over when you finish one book! His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman has been my favorite series since middle school—I reread it frequently and love it more each time. Other great series are The Lord of the Rings (and The Hobbit) by J.R.R. Tolkien, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

What are your favorite recommendations? ANYTHING by Bill Bryson. Books by my other favorite authors, especially Confederates in the Attic and Blue Latitudes by Tony Horwitz. Atonement by Ian McEwan. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles. The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom. The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Jurassic Park and Timeline by Michael Crichton. Going Bovine by Libba Bray. The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherford. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Time Windows, The Glass House People, and Dreadful Sorry by Kathryn Reiss. Mr. Was by Pete Hautman. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley. Nicholas Sparks books of the 1990s. Ask me for more... I could go on forever!